City, MTA okay $2.1B No. 7 Line expansion

New York City and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) agreed on a $2.1 billion expansion for the No. 7 train as part of the development of the MTA's rail yards on the West Side of Manhattan.
The 1.5-mile extension of the No. 7 line will take the subway further west from its current finish point at Times Square and continue it along 41st Street and 11th Avenue, and then south to a new terminal at 34th Street and 11th Avenue.
&#8220With this agreement, we have established a workable framework to transform the Hudson Yards area and spur much-needed residential and commercial development on the Far West Side of Manhattan,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. &#8220This is a win for the City and residents of all five boroughs.”
With the extension of the No. 7 line, the city and MTA hopes it will propel the Far West Side creating thousands of new and permanent construction jobs and tens of billions of dollars in surplus tax revenues.
Under the agreement, the Hudson Yards Development Corporation (HYDC), a city-created local development corporation, will work with a number of community groups to prepare within six months a statement of planning and design guidelines for the Western Rail Yards, located between 11th and 12th Avenues and between 30th and 33rd Streets. In addition, the guidelines will include specifics on key elements of development such as permissible uses and densities.
&#8220Through this process, the MTA will receive the best value for its assets and direct the funds to its current Capital Plan,” said MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow. &#8220In addition, the city’s pledge to finance the extension of the No. 7 subway line to the Far West Side is a great opportunity for the MTA, as well as an investment that will reap benefits for generations to come.”
However, Councilmember Eric Gioia is somewhat skeptical of the plans.
&#8220I think the idea is good, but I am very concerned about what it means for Queens because the MTA has shown no inclination to do right by the people of Queens,” Gioia said, citing poor records of weekend service and overcrowded conditions on the train during rush hour.
Riders of the No. 7 train, which originates in Queens at Flushing/Main Street and continues throughout the borough to the first Manhattan stop at Grand Central Terminal, have some time before they can expect to utilize the proposed expansion, as construction is not expected to be completed until 2012.